


By The Spring

by nerdypipsqueak



Category: Seven Pillars of Wisdom - T. E. Lawrence
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Falling In Love, M/M, Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:01:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25006591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdypipsqueak/pseuds/nerdypipsqueak
Summary: A sweet little moment by the spring in Wadi Rum.
Relationships: Ali Ibn El Hussein/T. E. Lawrence
Comments: 6
Kudos: 7





	By The Spring

**Author's Note:**

> Just to clarify Ali Ibn El Hussein is Ali of the Harith, NOT Ali, Feisal's brother (I know it's confusing but it so happens that these two were both called Ali Ibn El Hussein and were distinguished only by tribe and the names of their ancestors).  
> In Seven Pillars of Wisdom Ali of the Harith gets quite a bit of attention, Lawrence describes him as attractive and athletic. It seems that these two liked each other and there has been some speculation that Ali may have been the recipient of the "To S.A." poem.  
> Ali Ibn El Kharish, the character played by Omar Sharif in "Lawrence of Arabia", was inspired by Ali Ibn El Hussein.

"The love is from God and of God and towards God."

Ali sits up, startled by the shadow suddenly cast over his face and the raspy, tired voice that follows.

"The love is from God and of God and towards God." The speaker, a frail man with a long beard and skin the colour of old leather, peers at him through cataract-fogged eyes. He's too old to be part of Feisal's army and Ali is fairly sure he hasn't seen him before, in any of the settlements they've passed through or among Auda's kinsmen.

"The love is from God and of God and towards God." The man repeats, slowly and deliberately, enunciating each word with great care. Driving the words into Ali's mind. Then he shuffles off towards the neighbouring tent, muttering to himself. His tracks look like drag marks in the sand, they barely resemble footprints. Ali's gaze idly follows the tracks from the mouth of his own tent, across the campsite, all the way to the path heading towards the rocks and the spring nestled between them.

The very spring where Aurens likes to sit and think and rest.

Peculiar little Englishman. He's afraid of nothing, not the sheikhs, not his superiors, not even God himself. He pushes the boundaries of what can and cannot be done, subjecting his poor body to days upon days of riding with no food and hardly any water or sleep. But when he does sleep he is so perfectly still and beautiful, like a chryselephantine sculpture. He's nothing like his fellow officers.

He's unlike anyone Ali has ever met.

And now Ali is filled is a very sudden and overwhelming need to go to the spring and check on Aurens so he gathers himself and heads off, following the strange old man's tracks.

He's not entirely sure what he's expecting to find but something in the back of his mind keeps nudging him, urging him to hurry. He breaks into a run, crosses the campsite in long strides, darts up the incline in between the rocks and...

Ali stops dead in his tracks.

Aurens is sitting in the shallow end of the spring, up to his waist in the water, washcloth in hand, methodically wiping down one outstretched arm. The tiny droplets clinging to his skin shimmer in the afternoon sun as they dribble down, down, down, all the way from his shoulders, down his bare back and into the spring. Ali's never seen him this vulnerable, this _naked_ before. It feels almost like sacrilege to be here, to intrude on such an intimate, innocent moment. He should go... But instead of turning and leaving Ali takes a step forward, then another one and another, bringing himself closer to this sunlit vision.

Aurens pauses his washing and glances over his shoulder. A sweet smile graces his lips. Shapely, plump lips, the stuff of Ali's dreams. 

"May I?" Ali gestures towards the spring. Aurens nods, a bright pink blush spreading across his cheeks and down onto his neck.

Ali tears his eyes away from that shy blush, focuses instead on lowering himself onto the sand, keeping his robes out of the water...

They sit in silence, side by side, one fully clothed, the other still trustingly naked.

In the depth of the spring their feet brush against one another. Aurens inhales sharply and for a moment Ali thinks he's frightened him. But then that small white foot nudges gently against his own and he nudges back immediately, relieved.

They play like that for a while, splashing, stroking and rubbing. Aurens laughs until he can't breathe. Ali laughs too, heart overflowing with happiness. This is good, this is pure and sweet and innocent, this is something he would love to have forever, this kind of joy and easy, complete trust.

Aurens's fingertips, still damp from the water, ghost over Ali's jawline in the briefest of caresses.

"I should get dressed." He says softly. "The sun will be setting soon..."

"Shall I leave?"

"No... stay. Please?"

Gently, Ali tilts his head and kisses Aurens's fingertips. He will stay.


End file.
